Improved concrete-brick machine



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NPETERS, PNOT TNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C an arm, :H, to. which nivotedor jointed, which itself is jointed to an arm, J,

BOLIVAR BIISBEEQOF AMES, AIOWA.

Letters Patent No. 87,326, dated March 2, 1869; antedated February 18,1869.

IMPROVED CONCRETE-BRICK MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent making part of the same-To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BOLIVAR BIsBnn, of Ames, in the county of Story, andState of Iowa, have invented a new and'useful Improved Concrete-BrickMachine; and I do hereby declare and make known that the following is afuli, clear, and same, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings,and the letters and figures marked thereon. which form part of thisspecification.

To enable those skilled in the art to know how to construct and use mysaid invention, I willnow procecd to describe the reference, in sodoing, to the aforesaid drawings, in which .Figure- 1 represents a sideelevation of my said invention; r

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; I

Figure 3 is the reverse end view, showing anelevation of the hopper andits appurtenances;

Figure 4 is -a side section of the jointed arm and its attachments;

. Figure 5 is a bottom view of the the movable cap or plate thereon;

Figure 6 represents a transverse section through the h pp p Figure 7 isa plan view of the mould in which the bricks are pressed;

Figure 8 is a side view of the same;

Figure 9-is a longitudinal section through the centre thereof; and

Figure 10 is a transverse section through said mould.

.Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the sameparts of my said invention. A represents a central beam, of suitablesize and length, which, together with the cross-timbers A A, removablysecured thereto, constitutes the base of the machine.

At about the centre of said base-timberA, upon opposite sides thereof,are secured two vertical standards or posts, B, between which thejointed arm, operating the'plunger, and the plungeiy'which presses thebrick, are arranged, the plunger, moving up and down between said posts,being guided by means of side straps, c, crossing from one post to theother, as shown, or in any other suitable manner;

plunger, showing At a suitable elevation there are secured to the saidposts B B, cross-timbers O O, as shown, upon which cross-pieces rests aplatibrnror plank, F, the end of said platform, upon a post, E, having across-head upon the top, or otherwise- At theftop of the posts B B,cross-timbers D D, of suitable strength, are secured in any suitablemanner, to which cross-timbers is secured, in a permanent manner, withshoulders below the cross pieces D, to resist the pressure, a block, G,to which is pivoted or jointed piece H the arm I is similarly exactdescription of the same with particularity, making beneath the hopper,being supported whose lower end is pivoted or jointed to an-arm, K,rigidly attached to the plunger L.

Through the said plunger L, two holes, more or less, marked 1, are made.

Tothe lower side of said plunger L, a perforated metallic plate, 'M, issecured, 'having lips or edges turned up, so as to enclose the base ofthe plunger, the said lips having vertical slots, through which bolts orpins, m, pass, and are secured in the plunger, so that when the plungeris pressed down upon the brick,

the plate M lies close against the face of the plunger,

but when the plunger is moved up, it moves'a slight distance (the lengthof said slots) before the plate M is started, thus leaving a spacebetween the plunger and the plate,'so' that the air entering into saidspace, through the holes Z l, readily passes through the per- Iforatious n, in said plate, upon the brick, as desired, thus causing theplate to rise up from the brick, withfout defacing the same, leavingitstop smoothandperect. There is attachedto that part of thepressure-arm marked I, an arm or lever, N, for the purpose of operatingsaid pressure arm, to theend of which two cords are attached, one marked1), going directly down, to be attachedto an axle, Y, and the othermarked a, going up over. a sheave, X, and thence down, to be attached tothe same axle, so that revolving said axle in one direction moves theend of said lever upward, while the reverse 'motion of said axle carriesthe end of said lever downward, the said cords alternately winding andun-' winding upon the axle.

The pulley or sheave X is supported at the upper ends of the inclinedposts WV W, which are strongly framed into the cross-beam A of the base,which crosslaid down parallel with the base, if desired for convenhenceof transportation. r

The said axle Y is provided with a-balance-wheel, which has a suitablehandle for revolving the same, said axle being supported in, suitablebearings, in or upon the posts W W, as shown. I

Through a slot in one side of the posts B, a lever, 0, passes, which ispivoted in the post, and has its inner end projecting inward in the formof a cam, so that by raising up the said lever, the mould is locked soas not to expand'or spread apart under the pressure applied upon thebrick, while, by lowering said lever c, the mould is released so as tobe readily removed and replac'ed. A cord may be so arranged that theperson who revolves the axle Y can also operate said camlevercr. g

represents a hopper, which is supported upon two sta mlards, 0 Q, atsuch a height that the mould can be placed upon the table F, and beneathsaid hop- The standards 0 are removably inserted into suitable mortisesor sockets in the base-beam A, and rest in notches in theta-ole F, sothat by turning a long arm or button, Q, pivoted at its centre to theside of the platform, and between said standards, until its ends rest invertical slots 0 in the said standards, the hopper is securely locked tothe frame of the machine, while, by turning said arm Q out of saidslots, it may, with its attachments, readily be detached or removed,when desired.

I have described a mode of connecting the several parts of my machine,whereby the same can be taken apart, when desired, but said parts mayberemovably secured together, as described, or be permanently fastenedtogether, as preferred.

The bottom of the hopper is open, as seen in fig. 6, but is providedwith a horizontally-arranged slide, 1?, which, by raising the lever T T,is operated upon by means of the hinged arm V, in such a manner as to,

move it beneath the hopper, and constitute a bottom thereto, while,pressing down said lever T T, the slide P is moved outand the hopper isopened. 7

To the lever T, a plunger, S, is attached, lying within said hopper,which is raised up as the slide P closes the hopper, but moves down whenthe slide opens, so as to force and dischargethe mortar or clay in thehopper, down into the mould arranged beneath on the platform F.

In' figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, the construction of the mould. or box inwhich the brick is pressed and formed, is shown.

This mould consists of the main bottom f, to which the sides 9 g arehinged, so that, when desired, the said sides may open or spread apartat the top of the mould, said hinges being indicated by it in thedrawmgs.

j Within said sides 9 g, a second or false bottom, marked z, isarranged, said bottomi being of the same width as the inner or insidewidth of the bottom, f, between the sides.

This bottom, 1', rests movably upon the main bottom, and has end-pieces,or pieces forming the ends of the mould, marked j j, hinged by hinges Itat or near the ends thereof, said end-pieces jj being a little longerthan the width of the false bottom requires, the ends thereof enteringinto grooves or recesses in the sides of the main bottom, as seen infig. 7.

\Vhen the parts are all arranged properly in place, and the sides g gare closed, a spring, s, operates au tomatically upon a shoulder, t, theone secured to one side, and the other to the opposite side, to lock themould together ready to receive the mortar or clay, and to be carriedforward to the press.

At each end of the mould, are levers, or handles, q q, whose ends lie ina recess formed between the two bottom-pieces ft', and thus allow theupper or movable. bottom to lie close upon the lower bottom,

while said levers, resting upon a fulcrum, q, on the lower bottom, uponbeing depressed, will raise the false bottom up from the lower bottom,as seen in fig. 9.

The said levers are secured in place by pins 2' r, which serve also as aguide to insure the proper placing of the false bottom in the main partof the mould.

Upon the end-pieces j j, of the false bottom, ears,

or handles]; 1), are placed, to enable the operator to take upand carryoff the brick upon the false bottom.

At the middle of the sides of the mould, a metallic plate, 11, isplaced, for the end of the cam-lever c to bear against, when the mouldis placed in the press.

Having described the construction of my invention, in its various parts,I will now proceed to describe its operation.

In the first place, the mould-box is arranged in the manner shown infigs. 7 and 8, and is then placed be ueath the hopper, upon the table F,as shown in fig. 1.

The mortar or clay-having previously been put into the hopper, when itsbottom was closed, the lever T is Forced down, moving away-the slide P,and pressing the plunger S down upon the clay in the hopper, andpressing it into the mould, which operation is continued, if necessary,until themould' is full.

The mould is then moved along upon the table )3, beneath the plunger L,being kept from moving too far, and detained in the proper position, bya stop, d, shown in fig. 1.

The lever N'heing in the position shown in rig. 4, or inclined upwardsat a corresponding angle from a horizontal line drawn through the centreof the piece I, in either of these positions, the plunger is raised up,and the cam-lever 0 applied upon the side of the mould, as hereinbeforedescribed.

The axle Y is turned, winding up the cord, which raises the arm N, andgradually moves down the plunger to its work, the ratio of the leverageconstantly increasing until the arm N is horizontal, when the pressureis completed.

In ordinary presses, the motion of the axle, or of the lever ,N, wouldhave to be stopped and reversed,

in order, to relieve the mould from the pressure, but

by my invention, the motion of the arm N and-axle is continued in thesame direction, raising the lever above the horizontal position, whichhas the eifect to raise the plunger from the mould, thus releasing themould, and permitting it to be taken away without loss of time or power,as the delay of changing the mould permits the stopping of the movementof the mile and lever N at that time, without loss.

\Vheu the plunger begins to move up, the same moves up until a space isleft between the plunger and the plate M, before the plate M commences trecede from contact with the brick, thus admitting the air, asaforesaid, and leaving the upper face of the brick smooth and perfect.

A second n ould being introduced, the motion of the axle is reversed,and the pressure is applied with gradually-increasin g force until thelever N has come down to a horizontal position, after which thecontinued movement below the said position relieves the pressure and themould is removed, another placed, and the motion again reversed.

\Vhen the mould is taken from the press, it is set down, the levers q qbeing in the position indicated in fig. 8. 1 These levers are presseddown, as seen in fig. 9, thus raising up the false bottom, as shown,and, sliding the brick up the sides g g, detach it from them, so thatwhen the lock 5' t is detached, and the sides open, the sides of thebrick willv not be marred by the adhesion thereof to the sides of themould.

\Vhen the sides are spread apart sufiioiently to permit the brick to betaken out, stops 1; 1 upon the edges of the bottom f, prevent them fromopening further than is necessary for that purpose.

The operator grasps the handles 1) 1), upon the ends jj of the falsebottom, and bears away the brick upon the said false or movable bottom,holding the said ends firmly against the brick as he goes, and when hedesires to remove the brick, he turns the same upon the edge, andstrikes the projecting parts of the ends j 3', upon something, to give aslight jar or concussion, which causes the brick to slide from thebottom, i, and ends jj, so as to leave all sides of the brick smooth andperfect, as desired.

The false bottom or off-bearer is then replaced in the mould, whichis-then locked together in thepropcr manner, when it is again ready foruse.

I am a are that the devices mentioned in the first claim, separatelyconsidered, are not new, and I do not claim them as new, when takenseparately; but

removes the plunger, as before, when.

my said invention, I will now specify what I having desoribed;theconstruction and operation of dorelaim, and, desire to secure by LettersPatent.

1. I claim the combination of the jointed arm H I J, 'the lever N, thetwo cords a b, pulley X, and axle-Y, arranged substantially asdescribed, so that the continuous revolution'ot' the said axle, ineither direction, will give both the downward and upward movement to theplunger, in the manner and for the purposes specified. I

2. In combination with the plunger, provided with the holes I,l'claimthe movable perforated cap M, when connected to said plunger, bymeans of pins m,

passing through vertical slots in the sides of said cap, and operatingin the manner set forth.

=3. I claimthe combination of the'sliding bottom P and plunger S, withthe hopper B, when connected and operated by a lever, '1, substantiallyin the manner and for the purposes described. 4. I claim the mould-box,composed of the bottom, f, with hinged sides, and the inner removablebottom 6, with hinged ends, arranged to operate in the. manner and forthe purposes set forth. Witnesses: BOLIVAR BISBEE.

-J.- S. BB'ooKs, J. W. HOWARD.

